


daybreak

by pennyheart



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Mental Health Issues, some unpleasant details about dimitri's trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 16:44:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20392903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennyheart/pseuds/pennyheart
Summary: He should probably be more concerned about someone breaking into his home. But he's not, and he's glad it's exactly who he thought it would be.(domestic fluff between retired figure skater dimitri x former coach f!byleth)





	daybreak

**Author's Note:**

> me: i want to write dimileth fluff  
also me: i want to write dimileth fluff while being completely self-indulgent and writing a very specific modern au
> 
> dimitri hasn't lost an eye in this au, so don't be too alarmed if i refer to him as having two eyes. also a disclaimer that while i enjoy watching figure skating, i actually don't know a whole lot about the sport.

When Dimitri wakes, he's not sure if it's from the sound of his door lock or the chime of his phone.

It takes him a moment to orient himself, to realize that he's in his bedroom and _not_ inside a-- no, he shouldn't dwell on it. Actually he should probably be more concerned about the fact that there is someone unlocking his door. But his head feels groggy from his latest nightmare, and his limbs are slow to react. Besides, only a few select people know where he keeps his spare key, like--

"Dimitri."

Startled, Dimitri pulls himself up to a half-upright position. Byleth stands by his bedroom door as if summoned there by his thoughts. Her hair is pulled back as it always is when there's a formal meeting to attend, and her cheeks are still a little flushed as if she'd run here. And though her face remains stoic, there is a distinct downturn at the corner of her lips; a hint Dimitri can recognize as worry.

"Byleth," he frowns at how awful that sounded with his dry throat. "Ahem, sorry-- what are you doing here?"

Sighing, Byleth puts down her bag by the door frame. It's a monster of a purse, a bit worn out around the edges, usually bursting with monthly schedules, exercise routines, and new choreography. He had figured it'd be relatively empty with his recent retirement, but it's still jam-packed with training regiments for her new protégés. He had meant to gift her a new one when he got a chance.

"I wanted to check on you." Byleth pads over, as silent and graceful as a cat, until she's settled herself on the edge of his bed. "Are you okay?"

A few years back he would have immediately put on a mask and told her that he's fine. Now he knows better, though he still struggles with how automatic that response is.

"... Maybe not the best today." He manages, fiddling with his covers. "But what are you doing here? Don't you have training to oversee?"

He can see she's even more worried now, and her hesitation is palpable as she shifts her eyes down then back to meet his eyes. "You missed an interview today."

_Oh._

His face immediately burns with embarrassment. How had he managed that? What had he been doing? He grabs his phone off the nightstand, cringing at the way the charging cord tugs just hard enough to knock against the lamp. He sees several messages from Dedue, asking where he is until the last one that notes Byleth is on her way. There are more than several missed calls from Byleth herself. And at the top of his notifications, there it is in bold letters: **Interview with Fódlan Sports @ 9AM**.

It's now 11:36 AM.

"I--" He's suddenly acutely aware that he's still in his pajamas, disheveled, sitting in bed like a slob. Meanwhile Byleth looks stunning in her formal wear, ready for an interview he never made it to.

"I am _so_ sorry." He practically jumps out of bed, narrowly avoiding burying Byleth under the flurry of bed sheets. "That was incredibly irresponsible of me. I'll give them a call now and apo--"

"I had it re-scheduled."

Ah.

Byleth calmly folds the bed sheets until they're somewhat passably arranged, turning her large green eyes back to Dimitri. "Dedue called around seven-thirty to say you weren't responding." She offers a small smile, reaching out her hand to take his. "So I figured I should ask for a rain check."

It surprises him to this day how well her hands fits into his. Her palms are so small, so delicate in his own, that sometimes he's afraid he'll crush them with his clumsy strength. But Byleth never seems to have given that much thought, curling her fingers to wrap around his hand-- as natural as breathing. With a gentle tug, she urges him back to sit on the bed with her; and as per usual, he has no option but to obey.

"I've been busy recently." Byleth rubs small circles on the back of his hand, and he can feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end at the sensation. "I'm afraid I haven't been as attentive as I should have."

Dimitri carefully reaches out to tap the engagement ring on Byleth's finger, its emerald glow a perfect match with her eyes. Funny how such a small act gives him such great comfort. "No, it's fine. You're busy with your new skaters, as you should be."

It's true. Byleth is now the once in a lifetime, miracle coach who led a figure skater with a career-ending injury back to the podium. Most of the attention had fallen on him after the win, but Dimitri knows better than anyone that it was Byleth's medal to wear, and she more than deserves all the recognition she's getting now. He'd been a terrible, unrecognizable mess after the accident, both physically and mentally. Nothing more than a rabid animal begging to be put down. A deep shame burns in his chest when he remembers how cruel he'd been to her when she first visited. She'd seen past that though, and still helped him despite it all. He...

A caress on his cheek, light and pleasant, pulls him back to reality. Byleth looks at him, and he can tell exactly what she wants to say. There is a 'I know what you're thinking about' in the beginnings of a furrow in her eyebrows. He can find the 'do I need to give you The Speech again' in the shine of her eyes. And finally, in the small distressed line of her lips, he can read 'please tell me if you need me'.

He loves her so much. His love. His beloved.

He leans down to kiss her, their lips meeting in chastely at first, then more heated as Byleth presses back with more force than he'd thought she would. Then again, it had been about two weeks since they last saw each other. Their impossible victory at the championship was keeping both of them from even planning their wedding properly.

When they separate, Byleth brushes a lock of hair out of his eyes, fondness radiating out of her being. She looks beautiful, illuminated only by the dulled sunlight that peeks through his blinds. What did he do in his past life to deserve her?

"Have you been taking your medication?" She asks this kindly, and Dimitri knows she's not trying to accuse him of sabotaging himself. He nods, resting his forehead against the crook of her neck. Disappointingly he's only met with the collar of her dress shirt, but the proximity is what matters.

"Yes, all of it." He pauses, not wishing to alarm her, as he tries to find the right wording. "Flayn changed the prescription recently and... I'm not sure if it was a good idea."

Byleth only hums, brushing her fingers through his unkempt hair soothingly. "We should talk to her about that then."

Right, he replies, closing his eyes as the even tempo of Byleth's hand starts to lull him back to sleep. His nights had been more fitful as of late, and he suspected Dedue was starting to see through his excuses. Even Felix had something to say at their last meet up; that is to say, he had something to say that sounded actually concerned.

"Beloved," He begins, his words starting to slur. "Do you remember when we first met?"

There's a small rumble against his skin as Byleth chuckles, her fingers still entangled in his hair. "I do. You were the only one in your group who could land a quad."

He feels his own laughter begin. He had been so eager to impress the new coach, and he'd decided the best way to do it was to show her a skill none of his peers had mastered yet. It was arrogant and foolhardy, but it had seemed worth it when he'd elicited a small gasp from her.

"It was so hard to read you, and I couldn't figure out if you were unhappy with me. I wanted to show you so badly that I was worthy of coaching."

He brings his arms up to wrap around her waist, nudging himself closer to her as he takes in her scent. She smells like chamomile, and it reminds him of the tea-filled thermos bottle she'd bring with her every training session. She'd offer him a cup during breaks, and the thought of an indirect kiss had made him blush. He'd only learn later that she had painstakingly asked every one of his acquaintances what his favorites were in an effort to get to know him better. It had really touched him, that there were still people who would genuinely want to know him on a personal level.

"You were always worthy." Byleth's hand moves from his head to his back, patting the area where his horrific childhood scar rests. "And I was always so proud. So proud to be able to work with you."

Unconsciously, his hands clench around her, pulling at her clothes. He loves her. He wants her. So badly. And for her to validate him like that, tell him that she cares and wants him too... It overwhelms him. Flayn's helpful words teaching him coping techniques echo in his mind, but he thinks perhaps she doesn't mean for him to use them when all he's feeling is so much love and warmth coiling in his gut.

"Dimitri, sleep for bit. I'll stay here for the day." Normally he'd protest and insist she go back to work. But when he's so indulged and dazed from lack of sleep, he can't bring himself to refuse. He feels like a child when Byleth tucks him back in, slowly untangling herself from his long limbs.

"I love you." She whispers, squeezing his hand as she offers him that smile he loves so much. He wants to whisper it back, but he thinks she can understand from the way he looks at her longingly, his eyes focused on her even as they start drooping.

Soon enough he's drifting off into fragments of memories. His first meeting with Byleth, and how cold he thought her to be-- and how he'd treated her like everyone else in his life then: politely, but at an arms length. Then the butterflies in his stomach when she smiled brightly after a perfect long program, so radiant he thought it was a mistake how it was all for him. How mortified he was when she chose him for the White Heron Gala. Her immense grief after her father's death. His promise to her that he'd do anything for her. The accident. The humiliation when he realized he had at once lost too much weight yet was also too heavy to perform his usual jumps.

And lastly, the early dawn when she tried to teach him how to spin again, her hands holding his firmly as they slid in a slow circle. Their skates scraping sharp arcs into the new ice as he gazed into her face, and saw the fire within her eyes. How her eyes had burned him with their determination to show him that he _could_ do this, and that she was here for him every step of the way.

When he next wakes, he's not sure what he dreamed of. But he knows it was not of flames licking the side of a crushed car, not of his parents' screams, or of the terrible crunch he heard when his leg snapped.

He thinks... it might have been about wedding rings. Of a distant future he can dare hope will be his. And a gentle smile on Byleth's face as she says 'I do'.

**Author's Note:**

> i imagined byleth as legendary coach jeralt's kid who comes in to replace him when he has unexpected personal business to deal with. cue all the usual 3H shenanigans. and dimitri as a figure skater was something that was in my head ever since i saw his battle animations pre-release (you know the one). i still have routes to finish but i just really needed to get this out of my system.
> 
> i am also incredibly out of practice with writing, so i'm hoping that isn't too obvious with this. i wrote it as a fun piece to try to get back into it, but please accept my meager contribution to the dimileth tag.


End file.
